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@uiten @faire intent @miep MARTIN W. POND, JR., AND ALEXANDER T. BALLANTINE, OF 'll'l.`USVlLLE,`

PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 74,243, dated February 11, 1868.

IMPROVED WED (iE-BUGKLB.

'ro ALL WHoM IT. MAY CoNcEnN;

Be it known that we, MARTIN W. POND, Jr., and LEXANDi-:n T. BALLANTINE, both of the city o'f Titusville,

county of Crawford, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Combination Wedge-Buckle; -1

and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had lto the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Similar letters represent similar parts in all the drawings.

Our invention is designed to used principally in cases wherea great strain is brought upon the str ap and buckle, as in vthe traces, pad-bearers, reins, Sto., of harnesses, but is equally applicable in all cases when buckles are used. The practical disadvantages of all buckles' now used are, that after the trace or strap has been' used in the buckle several months, or years, as is sometimes the case, without changing its position, it

becomes rusted and drawn .out of shape, and so compressed and crimpedat the.point of draught, that upon lengthening and straightening the tra-ce or strap, it sooner or later crac ks at the point of former contact with the buckle, and the experience of all practical harness-makers in repairing old harnesses is, that they almost invariably break first at the point of contact with the buckle. In the ordinary tongue-buckle, in addition to the crimpingand cutting of the tr'ace by the edge of the buckle, the tongue soon tears out' the trace@ 'Inventors have improved vastly on the old buckle, but, as far as our knowledge extends, all buckles thus far known orA used, to a greater or less degree, crimp, cut, or compress the leather in proportion to the amount of strain and the length of time they are used without change of position.

The object of our invention is, therefore, to produce a buckle Vwhich shall hold the trace perfectly firm and tightin any desired position, `and which may be applied to a single point on the trace orfstrap for any desired ,length of time, and under any desired amount of strain, without in the slightest degree injuring or impairing ltheappearance, strength, natural elasticity, or durability of the leather. In the drawings- Figure 1 is a front view of our combination wedge-buckle, with the strap or trace in place.

Figure 2 is a, longitudinal'scction of the same, on the line A B.

Eigure 3 is a cross-section of the same,'on line D. 4

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of our buckle, representing it thrown open in readiness for the removal of tne truce.

The trace isrepresented by red lines in all the iigures. i

Our buckle consists substantially ofthe oblong body or box a, in which the trace or strap lies, covered by the sliding wedge b, the wedge being held in position by the adjustable eccentric clamp c, made of the peculiar form indicated, which clamp turns on a cross-har, d. This cross-bar serves to strengthen and prevent the sides of the .box from spreading, and also forms a loop for the side strap running from the breeching. The wedge b is provided with a short spur or tongue, e, on its under side. To use the buckle, the strap is passed through it, between the box and wedge, to the desired point. The tongue e is dopped into the hole provided in the strap for that purpose; the eccentric clasp c is turned down upon the wedge, and a slight drawingof the strap upon the tongue e draws the wedge into place, and relieves the tongue from further strain. The'wedge isconstructed of such a. form that when once in place between the strap and the clamp c,l the heavier the draught the tighter the trace is compressed and held in place between the wedge and back of the buckle, the trace being thus held firmly by friction alone, between two smooth, parallel surfaces, without cutting, bending, indenting,

crimping, or in any way injuring any portion of the trace, or the stiehing of the same.

'lo remove or change the length of the trace, it is simply necessary to throw back the clamp c, which will relieve the wedge from pressure, andA by slightly pushing back the trace, the wedge and tongue are lifted from the trace, and it can be shifted to any desired point.l

To prevent the wedge from dropping out of its place when the trace is removed, ive-provide the projecting points or pinsf, on the corners of the wedge, which move in the slots g, cut in the side ofthe box for that pur= pose, the pins thus serving as n hinge for the wedge. i

We do not claim broadlythe construction of a buckle with two lplane surfaces orplates, between which the trace is held, by means of a. tongue, projecting at right angles from one of the plates, nor do we claim the Amanner oninging the wedge-plate b to the body a by'means of pinsf, moving in the slots y, as said pins :ind slots simply serve to prevent the wedge-plate from dropping out when loosened, and this may be accomplished in many ways, but v What We claim a-s our specific invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As a. new article of manufacture, a. wedge-buckle, consistingsubstantially of the body a, wedge-plate Z1, eccentric-clamp `c, and cross-bur 2,01 its equivalent, when said clamp c is so arranged as to -compress andY gudethe wedge-plate when closed, and release it whnopcned, and the wedgcqilate b, so arranged as to i'nove in n converging line with relation to the bodyr a, andvto close upon andl tighten its hold on the trace or strap `0.3 the draught is increased, substantially in the mamxer and for the purposes set forth.

Dated at Titusville, Pennsylvania, this thirty-first day of January, A. D. 1867.

' MARTIN W'. POND, JR.,

ALEX. T. BALLAN'JINEy Witnesses:

ANDREW B. HOWLAND, W. H. CURTIS. 

